1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hyperthermia device and in particular to the hyperthermia device which deteriorates the regenerative functions of cancerous cells and thereby liquidating them by heating them with electromagnetic waves.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, hyperthermia has been given wide attention and papers have been written on hyperthermia which deteriorates the regenerative functions of cancerous cells and thereby liquidating significant portion of them by applying heat of approximately 43.degree. C. for one or two hours and repeating the treatment at certain intervals. (F. K. Storm: Hyperthermia in Cancer Therapy, C. K. Hall Med.Pub., Boston (1983)).
There are two kinds of hyperthermia therapies: general heating and local heating methods. Three methods are proposed for the local heating: one utilizes electromagnetic waves and the second uses electric conduction and the third uses ultrasonic waves.
Researchers concluded that the optimum temperature for attacking cancerous cells is 43.degree. C. or thereabouts. Temperatures below this will weaken the effects and temperatures above this will damage normal cells. Hyperthermia aims at liquidating cancerous cells without heating normal cells by maintaining the temperature in a confined narrow range.
However, it has been quite difficult by conventional means to keep the temperature of cancerous cell approximately at 43.degree. C. for one or two hours due to the peculiar functions of a living body. Particularly heating by electromagnetic waves has been put aside for a long time because a significant portion of the electromagnetic waves is absorbed by the body surface thus the method unfit for heating the deep parts of a living body. Meanwhile, inventors have been active in the study of the effectiveness of hyperthermia therapy on cancerous growths at the deep parts of a living body using electromagnetic waves.